what is a "biga" ? ... you got me scratching my head, I can't figure out what that means.

Jerry,

Very nice job.

Mark,

You may want to take a look at the Pizza Glossary at http://www.pizzamaking.com/pizza_glossary.html#B. The definition in the Glossary is pretty much the standard one. Over time, the term "biga" has been so bastardized that it has become almost synonymous with "preferment" than a specific process. Usually, a classic biga is made using flour, water and commercial yeast (there is also such a thing as a "natural" biga) with a hydration of around 50-55%, which means a stiff dough. It uses a fixed amount of commercial yeast (around 0.25-0.33% on an IDY basis), and is held at around 60° F for about 18 hours. Knowing Jerry's propensity to be a stickler for the technical aspects of pizza dough making, I am guessing that is how he made his "biga" .

Well that explains that , very interesting term, I have never heard it before. I don't even thinkI've read it before on the forum, but then again I don't read every single post ( you could spend your whole dayjust reading posts couldn't you, that just shows you how big this forum is now )

Interesting stuff, thanks for the classroom tutorial ! you are indeed a great teacher !

Mark

Logged

Pizzamaker, Rib Smoker, HomeBrewer, there's not enough time for a real job.